Form N92: Application for Administration Order (2026 Guide)

If you have multiple debts, at least one of which is a county court judgment, and the total of all your debts does not exceed £5,000, a county court administration order may offer a structured and affordable way to manage what you owe. Rather than dealing with each creditor separately — with all the correspondence, demands, and risk of further enforcement action that entails — an administration order consolidates your debts under the supervision of the court. You make a single regular payment to the court, and the court distributes it among your creditors. Form N92 is the application form that starts the process. This guide explains when and how to use it, what the court considers, and what the order means for you and your creditors.

When Do You Need Form N92?

You need Form N92 when you are an individual facing multiple debts that you cannot pay in full immediately, and you meet the qualifying criteria for an administration order.

The three principal conditions are:

1. You have a county court judgment (or High Court judgment) against you. You must have at least one judgment debt outstanding. An administration order is a mechanism within the county court system, and the court’s jurisdiction to make one is founded on the existence of a judgment. If none of your creditors has yet obtained a judgment, you do not yet qualify — though you may wish to seek other forms of debt relief, such as a debt relief order or an individual voluntary arrangement, depending on the total level of your debts.

2. Your total unsecured debts do not exceed £5,000. This is the statutory ceiling under Schedule 2 to the County Court Act 1984 (as applied by Schedule 2 CCR — the County Court Rules that remain in force for this purpose). The £5,000 limit applies to the total of all your debts, not just the judgment debts. If your combined debts exceed £5,000, an administration order is not available and you will need to consider alternatives such as a debt relief order (if debts do not exceed £30,000 and certain other conditions apply) or an individual voluntary arrangement.

3. You are unable to pay your debts immediately. The order exists for debtors who are willing to pay but cannot do so in full at once. If you are able to pay immediately, the court will not make an administration order — you should simply pay the debts directly.

Form N92 is not a way to avoid paying what you owe. It is a court-supervised repayment mechanism that protects you from enforcement action by individual creditors while you pay off your debts through the court over time.

What Form N92 Is Used For

Form N92 initiates an application for a county court administration order under Schedule 2 to the County Court Act 1984, applied through the County Court Rules (Schedule 2 CCR, Order 39).

An administration order has several important effects.

Consolidation. All qualifying debts are brought together under a single court order. You no longer need to manage separate arrangements with each individual creditor.

Protection from enforcement. Once an administration order is made, creditors who are named in it cannot take further enforcement action against you — they cannot issue a warrant of control, apply for a charging order, or take any other enforcement step — without the court’s permission. This protection is significant: it puts a legal stop on the flood of individual enforcement measures that can make debt feel unmanageable.

Structured repayment. The court fixes the amount you pay each week or month based on what you can reasonably afford. You make a single payment to the court, and the court distributes it pro rata among the creditors named in the order.

Time. An administration order gives you time to repay. If the total debt cannot be cleared quickly at the rate you can afford, the order can run for years. In some circumstances, the court may make a “composition order” — a variation of the administration order — under which you pay a proportion of the total debts and the balance is written off at the end of the repayment period, though this is at the court’s discretion.

How to Complete and File Form N92: Step by Step

Completing Form N92 accurately is essential. The information you provide forms the basis on which the court assesses your application, calculates your payment rate, and notifies your creditors.

Step 1 — Obtain the current version of Form N92 from the HMCTS website.
Form N92 is available from the official HMCTS forms portal. Always download a fresh copy to ensure you have the current version. Out-of-date versions may be missing required fields or carry superseded guidance.

Step 2 — Identify the correct court.
You must apply to the county court for the district in which you live. This is the court with jurisdiction to make an administration order in respect of your debts under Schedule 2 CCR.

Step 3 — Complete your personal details.
Enter your full name, date of birth, and residential address. If you have moved recently and have judgment debts registered against a previous address, include that address as well so the court can identify all relevant judgments.

Step 4 — List all of your debts.
This is the most important section of Form N92 and the one that requires the most care. You must list every unsecured debt you have, regardless of whether a judgment has been obtained. For each debt, provide:

• The name and address of the creditor.
• The nature of the debt (for example, credit card, personal loan, catalogue account, utility arrears).
• The original amount of the debt.
• The current outstanding balance as of the date of the application.
• Whether or not a county court judgment has been obtained for that debt, and if so, the claim number and the court that made the judgment.

Do not omit debts. If a creditor is not listed in your application, they cannot be included in the administration order and will retain their full rights to pursue enforcement against you. Omitting a creditor may also give the court reason to question the completeness and honesty of your application.

Step 5 — Confirm the total debt figure.
The total of all debts listed must not exceed £5,000. Calculate this carefully. Include the current outstanding balances, not the original amounts where they differ. If the total is above £5,000, you cannot use Form N92 and you should seek advice on alternative debt relief options.

Step 6 — Complete your income and expenditure statement.
The court needs to know what you earn and what your essential outgoings are in order to fix a payment rate you can genuinely afford. Provide accurate figures for:

• Your income from all sources (employment, benefits, pension, maintenance, etc.).
• Your essential monthly outgoings (rent or mortgage, council tax, utilities, food, travel to work, childcare, and any other essential expenses).
• The difference between the two — your disposable income — is the maximum the court can direct you to pay each payment period.

Be honest and accurate. Overstating outgoings to reduce your payment rate is a form of dishonesty to the court. Understating them will result in a payment rate you cannot sustain, which puts the order at risk of being revoked.

Step 7 — Sign the application.
Form N92 must be signed by you personally. There is no separate statement of truth requirement on the face of the form in the same way as a CPR claim, but the application is made on oath and you are expected to provide truthful information. Providing false information in an application to the court is a serious matter.

Step 8 — File the form with the court.
File Form N92 at the appropriate county court. There is no court fee payable for an application for an administration order, which makes it one of the more accessible court-based debt tools. The court will stamp and process the application and will write to each creditor listed in it.

Step 9 — Await the court’s response.
The court will write to each creditor listed in your application, notifying them of the application and inviting them to submit a proof of debt (a formal statement of the amount they say is owed). Creditors have an opportunity to object to the application or to the proposed payment rate.

Step 10 — Attend any hearing listed by the court.
The court may deal with straightforward applications on the papers without requiring your attendance. However, if any creditor objects, if the court has questions about your income or expenditure figures, or if the payment rate proposed is disputed, the court will list a hearing. You should attend. Be prepared to produce evidence of your income (payslips, benefit letters) and your outgoings (bank statements, bills).

Step 11 — Comply with the order once it is made.
Once the court makes the administration order, you must make the directed payments to the court on time. The court will deduct a small administration fee and distribute the remainder among your creditors. Make every payment on time. If your circumstances change — for better or worse — apply to the court promptly for the order to be varied.

Key Deadlines

Unlike some other court procedures, an administration order application does not arise from a specific triggering event with a countdown clock. You may apply at any time once you hold a judgment debt and your total debts do not exceed £5,000. However, the longer you delay, the more likely it is that creditors will take enforcement action against you.

Once an administration order is made, payments must be made on the dates directed. Missing payments puts the order at risk.

What Happens After the Order Is Made?

Once the administration order is made, it has immediate legal effect. All creditors listed in the order are bound by it. They may not issue further enforcement proceedings against you without the court’s permission.

You make your periodic payments directly to the court. The court keeps records of what has been received and distributes the money pro rata among the listed creditors. You will receive periodic statements of account from the court showing how much has been distributed.

If your financial position improves and you can afford to pay more, you may apply to increase the payment rate and clear the order sooner. If your circumstances worsen, apply promptly to vary the order downward — do not simply stop paying. Stopping payments without a court variation is the most common reason administration orders are revoked.

If the court is satisfied that your debts cannot be paid in full within a reasonable time at the rate you can afford, it has the power to make a composition order. Under a composition order, you pay a fixed proportion of the total debts and — provided you comply — the balance is written off at the end of the payment period. A composition order is not automatic; you must apply for it or it must be proposed by the court, and the court will not make one lightly.

The order is registered on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. This means it will appear on your credit record and may affect your ability to obtain credit while it remains on the register. Once the order is fully satisfied, you can apply to have the entry marked as “satisfied.”

Common Mistakes When Applying for an Administration Order

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Related Court Forms & Guides

• Form N260: Statement of Costs — the costs schedule used at summary assessment.
• Form N244: Application Notice — the form for interim applications.
• Start a Money Claim Online (OCMC) — where most civil money claims begin.
• Particulars of Claim — setting out the basis of your claim.
• Civil Court Forms Index — every civil court form guide in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does an administration order write off my debts?
A: A standard administration order does not write off your debts — you are required to pay them in full over time. However, the court has the power to make a composition order, which does write off the remaining balance at the end of the repayment period once you have paid the specified proportion. A composition order is not automatic and must be applied for or proposed by the court in appropriate cases.

Q: Can a creditor refuse to be included in the administration order?
A: No. Once the court makes the order, all creditors listed in it are bound by it whether or not they consent. A creditor may object to the making of the order or to the proposed payment rate, and the court will consider those objections, but an objecting creditor cannot simply opt out of the order once it is made.

Q: What happens if I miss payments under the order?
A: If you miss payments, the order is at risk of being revoked. The court may issue a notice before revocation. If the order is revoked, all protection from enforcement falls away and your creditors may immediately resume enforcement action. If your circumstances have changed and you cannot maintain the payments, apply to the court to vary the order before you start missing payments.

Q: Will an administration order affect my credit rating?
A: Yes. The administration order is registered on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which credit reference agencies use when preparing credit reports. The registration will affect your ability to obtain credit, a mortgage, or other financial products during the period the order is in force and for some time after it is satisfied. Once you have paid in full, you can apply to have the entry marked as satisfied.

Q: Can I apply for an administration order if I am self-employed?
A: Yes. The administration order procedure is available to any individual who meets the qualifying criteria — it is not limited to employed persons. Your income and expenditure assessment will need to reflect the variable nature of self-employed income, and the court may assess your average earnings over a recent period when fixing the payment rate.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for a county court administration order using Form N92?

An individual who has at least one county court or High Court judgment debt outstanding, whose total unsecured debts do not exceed £5,000, and who cannot pay those debts immediately but is willing to pay them over time. If you can pay immediately, the court will not make the order; if your debts exceed £5,000, you will need to consider alternatives.

Is there a court fee for Form N92?

According to this guide, there is no court fee payable for an application for an administration order, which is part of what makes it one of the more accessible court-based debt tools. Always check the current HMCTS position before filing.

What does an administration order actually do?

It consolidates your qualifying debts under a single court order, protects you from further enforcement by the creditors named in it (they cannot take steps such as a warrant of control or a charging order without the court’s permission), and fixes a structured repayment rate based on what you can reasonably afford. You make one payment to the court, which distributes it pro rata among your creditors.

What is the most important part of the form to get right?

Listing all of your debts. You must include every unsecured debt, with each creditor’s name and address, the nature and original amount of the debt, the current outstanding balance, and whether a judgment has been obtained. A creditor you leave off cannot be included in the order and keeps full enforcement rights, and omissions can lead the court to question the honesty of your application.

Do I have to attend a hearing?

Not always. The court may deal with straightforward applications on the papers. But if a creditor objects, the court has questions about your income or expenditure, or the proposed payment rate is disputed, a hearing will be listed and you should attend with evidence of your income and outgoings.

What happens if my circumstances change after the order is made?

Make every directed payment on time. If your finances improve you can apply to pay more and clear the order sooner; if they worsen, apply promptly to vary the order downward rather than simply stopping payments, which puts the order at risk.

Related guides: Form N245 (vary an instalment order) · Form EX160 (help with fees) · All civil court forms